Palm Springs and California Desert Paintings

Paintings and prints from the Coachella Valley and the Mojave Desert: Palm Springs, Rancho Mirage and Desert Hot Springs; Joshua Tree and Yucca Valley; the small-tract homesteads of Wonder Valley; the Salton Sea; and roadside stops from Amboy to Panamint Springs.

Subjects range from mid-century motels and signs to homestead cabins, water towers and open desert. Dennis Johnson has shown work in Palm Springs galleries and given printmaking demonstrations at the Palm Springs Art Museum.

Medium
AllPaintingsPrintsMixed media
Subject
Grain Elevators & Mills
Motels & Roadside Signs
Diners, Cafés & Theaters
Barns & Farmsteads
Trains & Railroads
Churches & Schoolhouses
Place
Route 66
Palm Springs & the California Desert
Montana
Idaho
California
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Plaza Theatre
Painting of the tall vertical sign of the Plaza Theatre in Palm Springs, THE PLAZA above THEATRE, glowing against a black night sky.Painting of the tall vertical sign of the Plaza Theatre in Palm Springs, THE PLAZA above THEATRE, glowing against a black night sky.
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Nighttime at the Car Wash
Painting of the pink elephant Rancho Super Car Wash sign in Rancho Mirage, California, glowing in neon colors against a dark blue night sky.Painting of the pink elephant Rancho Super Car Wash sign in Rancho Mirage, California, glowing in neon colors against a dark blue night sky.
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Wonder Valley: Texaco Water Tower
Mixed-media painting of a rust-orange water tank with a white Texaco panel on red legs in the Wonder Valley desert, blue-gray mountains beyond.Mixed-media painting of a rust-orange water tank with a white Texaco panel on red legs in the Wonder Valley desert, blue-gray mountains beyond.
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Harmony Motel
Painting of the white Harmony Motel sign in Joshua Tree, California, red HARMONY MOTEL letters seen from below against a deep blue sky.Painting of the white Harmony Motel sign in Joshua Tree, California, red HARMONY MOTEL letters seen from below against a deep blue sky.
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Fuel Ahead
Painting of a pale abandoned building with square columns and faint FUEL AHEAD lettering in Death Valley Junction, California, in long morning shadows.Painting of a pale abandoned building with square columns and faint FUEL AHEAD lettering in Death Valley Junction, California, in long morning shadows.
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Spirit of the West
Mixed-media work with a photograph of a small Jackrabbit Homestead cabin in the Mojave Desert, set into pale blue and yellow paint above the word HOMESTEADS.Mixed-media work with a photograph of a small Jackrabbit Homestead cabin in the Mojave Desert, set into pale blue and yellow paint above the word HOMESTEADS.
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Homestead Grid
Painting on nine square panels, each a small pink, brown or gray homestead cabin among yellow creosote bushes in Wonder Valley, California.Painting on nine square panels, each a small pink, brown or gray homestead cabin among yellow creosote bushes in Wonder Valley, California.
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Rock's Cafe
Painting of a weathered ROCKS sign with a red arrow on a tall pole, standing alone on a flat Mojave Desert plain under a pale gray sky.Painting of a weathered ROCKS sign with a red arrow on a tall pole, standing alone on a flat Mojave Desert plain under a pale gray sky.
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Work Safely
Mixed-media painting of a rust-brown rail car stenciled WORK SAFELY beside yellow and red cars at the Union Pacific rail yard in Yermo, California.Mixed-media painting of a rust-brown rail car stenciled WORK SAFELY beside yellow and red cars at the Union Pacific rail yard in Yermo, California.
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Hacienda Rivera
Painting of a tall pale blue motel sign with a red HACIENDA panel rising over a wall and palms in Desert Hot Springs, California.Painting of a tall pale blue motel sign with a red HACIENDA panel rising over a wall and palms in Desert Hot Springs, California.
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Cactus Springs
Mixed-media painting of a tall mid-century CACTUS sign on a red pole with four yellow panels, in Desert Hot Springs, California.Mixed-media painting of a tall mid-century CACTUS sign on a red pole with four yellow panels, in Desert Hot Springs, California.
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Pink Elephant
Painting of the pink elephant Rancho Super Car Wash sign in Rancho Mirage, California, with a red fez and raised trunk, against a clear blue sky.Painting of the pink elephant Rancho Super Car Wash sign in Rancho Mirage, California, with a red fez and raised trunk, against a clear blue sky.
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Hacienda del Sol
Painting of a yellow sunburst sign reading HACIENDA del SOL on a brown pylon in Borrego Springs, California, with palms and mountains.Painting of a yellow sunburst sign reading HACIENDA del SOL on a brown pylon in Borrego Springs, California, with palms and mountains.
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Route 66 series: signs along the way #3
Print of three Route 66 signs from Amboy, California, side by side: a turquoise RESTAURANT sign, ROY'S with a red star over MOTEL CAFE, and a tall MOTEL sign.Print of three Route 66 signs from Amboy, California, side by side: a turquoise RESTAURANT sign, ROY'S with a red star over MOTEL CAFE, and a tall MOTEL sign.
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Panamint Springs Gas Station
Painting of a gas station canopy lighting two pumps at night beside a glowing GENERAL STORE in Panamint Springs, California, set in dark blue hills.Painting of a gas station canopy lighting two pumps at night beside a glowing GENERAL STORE in Panamint Springs, California, set in dark blue hills.
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Desert Journey
Mixed-media work of a Joshua tree against blue sky in Joshua Tree National Park, beside collaged map fragments, handwriting and a photograph of rocks.Mixed-media work of a Joshua tree against blue sky in Joshua Tree National Park, beside collaged map fragments, handwriting and a photograph of rocks.
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Roy’s Motel and Cafe
Painting of the Roy's Motel and Cafe sign on Route 66 in Amboy, California: a red-orange star behind ROY'S, MOTEL CAFE below, beside the angled-roof office.Painting of the Roy's Motel and Cafe sign on Route 66 in Amboy, California: a red-orange star behind ROY'S, MOTEL CAFE below, beside the angled-roof office.
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Sans Souci
Hand-colored photo etching of a weathered oval SANS SOUCI sign on a pole above a long derelict building at Desert Shores on the Salton Sea.Hand-colored photo etching of a weathered oval SANS SOUCI sign on a pole above a long derelict building at Desert Shores on the Salton Sea.
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Desert Center Family Cafe
Hand-colored photo etching of the run-down Family Cafe in Desert Center, California, a peeling FAMILY CAFE sign above a canopy and old gas pumps.Hand-colored photo etching of the run-down Family Cafe in Desert Center, California, a peeling FAMILY CAFE sign above a canopy and old gas pumps.
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Yermo
Painting of three boxcars side by side at the Yermo, California rail yard: a dark red car, a yellow car and a pale blue car stenciled with reporting marks.Painting of three boxcars side by side at the Yermo, California rail yard: a dark red car, a yellow car and a pale blue car stenciled with reporting marks.
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Family Cafe at Desert Center
Painting of the Family Cafe in Desert Center, California: a pink roadside cafe and gas canopy with old red and white pumps in open desert.Painting of the Family Cafe in Desert Center, California: a pink roadside cafe and gas canopy with old red and white pumps in open desert.
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Keeler Swim Club
Painting of a small orange wooden building with a green roof and cupola beside a gray board fence in Keeler, California, below blue mountains.Painting of a small orange wooden building with a green roof and cupola beside a gray board fence in Keeler, California, below blue mountains.
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Ghost Plant
Painting of rusted silos joined by conveyors behind white sheds near Lone Pine, California, with blue mountains beyond.Painting of rusted silos joined by conveyors behind white sheds near Lone Pine, California, with blue mountains beyond.
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Desert Musings
Mixed-media work of a small Wonder Valley desert cabin photograph overlaid with handwriting, in peach, blue and green painted bands.Mixed-media work of a small Wonder Valley desert cabin photograph overlaid with handwriting, in peach, blue and green painted bands.
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Reclaimed
Mixed-media painting of a small desert cabin with missing wall boards in Wonder Valley, California, below blue mountains, amid stenciled words.Mixed-media painting of a small desert cabin with missing wall boards in Wonder Valley, California, below blue mountains, amid stenciled words.
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Prefab Models 4 Sale
Mixed-media painting of a pale green prefab homestead cabin with open wall framing on bare sand in Wonder Valley, California, among stenciled words.Mixed-media painting of a pale green prefab homestead cabin with open wall framing on bare sand in Wonder Valley, California, among stenciled words.
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Roadside Attraction: Cabazon
Painting of the dinosaur roadside attraction in Cabazon, California, a tall EAT sign with a dinosaur in the A beside a pink dinosaur sculpture at dusk.Painting of the dinosaur roadside attraction in Cabazon, California, a tall EAT sign with a dinosaur in the A beside a pink dinosaur sculpture at dusk.
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Route 66 Series—Road Runner Restaurant
Print of the Road Runner restaurant sign on Route 66 in Newberry Springs, California, a turquoise RESTAURANT panel below a roadrunner, in a topographic map border.Print of the Road Runner restaurant sign on Route 66 in Newberry Springs, California, a turquoise RESTAURANT panel below a roadrunner, in a topographic map border.
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Route 66 Series—Roy's Motel and Cafe
Print of the ROY'S sign on Route 66 in Amboy, California, over a red star, with a turquoise MOTEL CAFE board below and palm trees, framed by a topographic map.Print of the ROY'S sign on Route 66 in Amboy, California, over a red star, with a turquoise MOTEL CAFE board below and palm trees, framed by a topographic map.
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Route 66 Series—Bagdad Motel
Hand-colored print of a tall, weathered MOTEL sign on a pole in the desert near Amboy on Route 66, framed by a topographic map border.Hand-colored print of a tall, weathered MOTEL sign on a pole in the desert near Amboy on Route 66, framed by a topographic map border.
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Route 66 Series I
Hand-colored solar plate etching of two Route 66 desert scenes near Amboy, California: an empty sign frame on a white pole and a tall MOTEL sign by utility poles.Hand-colored solar plate etching of two Route 66 desert scenes near Amboy, California: an empty sign frame on a white pole and a tall MOTEL sign by utility poles.
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Mid-Century Homesteads #1,2
Hand-colored solar plate etching in two panels of Wonder Valley homesteads: a small wooden desert cabin and a boxy block ruin with a dark doorway.Hand-colored solar plate etching in two panels of Wonder Valley homesteads: a small wooden desert cabin and a boxy block ruin with a dark doorway.
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Desert Series—Rembrance
Photo etching of granite boulders and a flowering yucca stalk at Joshua Tree, above a topographic map collage with Joshua tree images and a postcard.Photo etching of granite boulders and a flowering yucca stalk at Joshua Tree, above a topographic map collage with Joshua tree images and a postcard.
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Desert Series—Joshua Tree
Photo etching of a fallen, twisted Joshua tree trunk in green desert scrub at Joshua Tree, above a fibrous paper panel of topographic map.Photo etching of a fallen, twisted Joshua tree trunk in green desert scrub at Joshua Tree, above a fibrous paper panel of topographic map.
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Desert Series—Celebration
Photo etching of two Joshua trees in green brush at dusk at Joshua Tree, paired with a handwritten vintage postcard bearing a red stamp.Photo etching of two Joshua trees in green brush at dusk at Joshua Tree, paired with a handwritten vintage postcard bearing a red stamp.
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Palm Springs Morning
Painting of Palm Springs at sunrise: four fan palms before a red-orange mountain, with mid-century modern rooftops along the bottom.Painting of Palm Springs at sunrise: four fan palms before a red-orange mountain, with mid-century modern rooftops along the bottom.
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U. S. Army Express
Painting of the weathered yellow side of a U.S. Army rail car at the Yermo, California rail yard, stenciled U.S.A.X. 89631 below four dark windows.Painting of the weathered yellow side of a U.S. Army rail car at the Yermo, California rail yard, stenciled U.S.A.X. 89631 below four dark windows.
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Route 66 Motel
Painting of a cream stucco archway reading WELCOME HISTORIC ROUTE 66 over a motel courtyard with blue and red doors in Victorville, California.Painting of a cream stucco archway reading WELCOME HISTORIC ROUTE 66 over a motel courtyard with blue and red doors in Victorville, California.
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Five Acre Homesteads
Mixed-media painting of two small homestead cabins among desert shrubs in Wonder Valley, California, with stenciled words FIVE ACRES and HOMESTEADS.Mixed-media painting of two small homestead cabins among desert shrubs in Wonder Valley, California, with stenciled words FIVE ACRES and HOMESTEADS.
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Desert Series—Woven Memories
Photo etching of dead branches on a grassy Joshua Tree desert slope at dusk, above a vintage postcard woven with strips of handwriting.Photo etching of dead branches on a grassy Joshua Tree desert slope at dusk, above a vintage postcard woven with strips of handwriting.
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Desert Series—Journeys
Photo etching of two blue-toned views of boulder piles and a yucca at Joshua Tree, above a handwritten vintage postcard and a pale fiber panel.Photo etching of two blue-toned views of boulder piles and a yucca at Joshua Tree, above a handwritten vintage postcard and a pale fiber panel.
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Morning Moon
Painting of a full white moon above a low blue mountain and a golden-orange desert plain near the Salton Sea, under a turquoise sky.Painting of a full white moon above a low blue mountain and a golden-orange desert plain near the Salton Sea, under a turquoise sky.
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Homestead with Water Tank
Painting of a pale green homestead cabin beside a raised white water tank in Wonder Valley, California, with yellow shrubs and blue hills.Painting of a pale green homestead cabin beside a raised white water tank in Wonder Valley, California, with yellow shrubs and blue hills.
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Ramos Bros Circus
Mixed-media painting of a faded Ramos Bros Circus billboard with a red and white sunburst and three feathered showgirls in the Wonder Valley desert.Mixed-media painting of a faded Ramos Bros Circus billboard with a red and white sunburst and three feathered showgirls in the Wonder Valley desert.
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Related collections

Route 66
Motels & Roadside Signs
California
The fine art of dennis Johnson
Website by al.b.goldin